6th day of miners' hunger strike: 'We will not return without our rights'

Doruk Mining workers, who decided to march from Eskişehir to Ankara 2 weeks ago on the grounds that they could not receive their salaries and severance pay, have been continuing their hunger strike at Kurtuluş Park for 6 days. Stating that their reasons for the protest include not only unpaid salaries but also years of ongoing loss of rights, the workers expressed that they will continue their protest until their problems are resolved.

"WE CAME TO RECLAIM ALL OUR LOST RIGHTS"

Nevzat Kuyumcu, one of the workers who expressed that they have had problems regarding their receivables from the past to the present, said, "We worked under the TMSF (Savings Deposit Insurance Fund) from 2016 to 2022. Our receivables were not paid. Our wages were not reset. At the end of 2022, we were transferred to Doruk Mining, a company of Yıldızlar Holding. We suffered great difficulties regarding the non-payment of our receivables. The severance pay of those who retired began not to be paid. Later, the union said that our receivables would be paid when an authorized person was appointed. When the official arrived, we still could not get them. Finally, we made the decision to march.

Before we came here, our employer stated that salaries would be paid in exchange for stopping the protest. We did not march here for salaries. We came to reclaim all our lost rights. Some of our friends had one or two months of salary paid. They were asked to end the protest. If our only receivable was two months of salary, we would not have marched here from Eskişehir. Our protest continues where it left off. We are planning to march to the Ministry of Energy on Monday. We will not return without our rights. Everyone has taken an oath. We have friends on hunger strike. One of them had to go home. There were those who fainted and those who became ill. Everyone is supporting us. We thank the people of Ankara".

"BEFORE WE EVEN GET TO OUR PERSONAL RIGHTS, OUR SALARY RECEIVABLES ARE NOT EVEN FINISHED"

Worker Ersin Fırıncı said, "We have been here for 6 days, and we have been in protest for 14 days. We have friends with troubled and chronic illnesses. There is still no development. We could not make our voices heard. The places where our voices should have reached did not hear us. The workers are on hunger strike. In the meetings held yesterday, it was said that some of the payments were made and some would be made next week. These payments are for a few months of receivables. Our grievances range from 2 to 8 months. Before we even get to our personal rights, our salary receivables are not even finished. No one is curious about staying here. Everyone promised their family when they left home. Everyone told their children, 'I will not return without securing your future.' Instead of celebrating April 23, our children cried here while wrapped in their fathers' raincoats. How will the workers celebrate May 1st while we wait here?"

"WE CANNOT SECURE OUR SEVERANCE PAY EVEN WHEN THERE IS A JUST CAUSE FOR TERMINATION"

Fırıncı stated that they have receivables ranging from 10 to 17 years, saying, "There are people here who have been mining for at least 10 years. There are people with 10 to 17 years of receivables, but no one has any trust. When we retire, or when there is a just cause for termination, we cannot secure our severance pay. Employers do not implement any of the decisions made by the courts. We talk among ourselves every day about what to do. What more can we do? We are not asking for this money from our state. We only want it to mediate. This is our right, and we are fighting for it. We need everyone's support".